Means for holding demountable rims on wheels.



s. R. MCKAY., i MEANS FOR HOLDING DEMOIJNI'ABLE RIMS ON WHEELS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE I3 1916.

L 1,223,501. Patented Ap1-.24,1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

STEWART R. MOKAY, F CLEVELAND, OHS-[0, ASSIGNOR TO THE McKAY COMPANY, OF

CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

MEANS FOB HOLDING EEMOUN TABLE RIMS ON WHEELS.

Application :ned Jane ,13, 191e. serial No. 103,407.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEWART R. M CKAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at fCleveland, in the county 'of Cuyahoga and Statie' of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Means for Holding Demountable Rimsl on Wheels, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact descri tion.

"lo T 's invention relates to means whereby `a tire-carrying rim may be secured u on a wheel in proper relation thereto, and rmly held against movement relative .tol the wheel `while 1n use, and which will permit the easy removal and replacement of said rim when re uired.Ak a he primary object of the invention is to 'enable the rim to be quickly removed and replaced, andto beso firmly held upon the v wheel that it canV notmove"relative thereto when in use. yAnother object i's'to do these things by means which dol not tend -to distort the rim but rather to aid in keeping it from being distorted. e e y Another object is to 4procure the proper centering o'f the rim on the wheel before it is clamped thereon. The invention consists inthe construction 50 and combination of parts hereinafter described and definitely pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation showing the outer side of a wheel felly carrying a demountable rim held thereon by the `means which yconstitute the present invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view in the plane indicatedby line 2--2- on Fig.

1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view in the plane of l 40 line 3 3 on Fig. 1. The'diiference between these two figures is that in Fig. 2 the clamp is shown in operative position exertingpressure against the side of the rim, while as shown in Fig. 3 the clamp has been moved to inoperative position where it'does not interfere with the removal of the rim. Fig. 4 is an outside view of the clamp, and Fig. 5

. is an outside view of one of the plates associated with each clamp.

acters, 1() re resents the ordinary felly of an ordinaryv w eel; 12 represents the metal felly band which is secured upon said felly. At the inner side of the felly are means for engaging the inner side of the' demonntable Specification of Letters Patent.

Referring to the parts by reference char-V Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

rim 15 for the purpose of serving as the thing or things against which the rim is clamped, andtherefore of limiting its inward movement. The drawing shows the felly band as having an annular inclined ory substantially vconical flange 13. This is an old and good construction, because when the rim is forced inward into engagement with .this cone, the part of the rim which engages with it, will be centered thereby.

Heretofore these conical flanges have been made complete as shown in the drawing; and they have been made mutilated or interrupted. So far as the presentinvention is concerned it does not matter which construction is employed, in fact, the primary invention is 'quite independent of whether the means against which the inner yside of the rim 15 be clamped be in the shapeof a cone. The conehas, however, known advantages', 75 and therefore its use is recommended.

The demountable rim 15 may be of any ordinary construction. It may be split or unsplit'and may have. the tire holding channel in its sired shape. These matters will be determined by the kind of tire the rim is designed to carry. The inner diameter `of this rim is greater than the outer diameter of the'felly band, but not so great as the outer diameter I of a large art of the frustum; wherefore, the rim, a'd]acent its inner side, will engage i thecone, but will not engage the felly band. Preferablythe rim will be beveled as at 16 foreengagement with the cone. l' The construction to the extent above described is conventional; that is to say, it has been recognized for years as good, and has been largely used in assooiationwith means by which to move the rim toward and hold it in engagement with said cone frustum. The means which have been most commonly used are known as wedge clamps. When one of these wedge clamps is driven inthe clamping direction it goes between the felly 109 band and the rim, in engagement with both, and not only pushes the rim over against thel cone' frustum, but it also thrusts thel rim radially outward, that is, away from the axis of the wheel. For some reason it has heretofore been thought necessary, or at least preferable, to employ wedge clamps which act in the manner stated. It seems t0 have been a general belief that unless the i rim were so forced outward at intervals, the 110 outer periphery of any de- 80 l y outer side of the rim wouldnot be centered with respect to the wheel, notwithstanding the fact that the inner side of the rim was so centered by engaging a cone. The use of these wedge clamps, however, has long been known to have objectionable features.

, The lradial outward pressure which they exto use 'upon the clamps tending to move ert at intervals u on the rim distorts itv from the true circ e in which it is made, and-in which it should remain. l Likewise,

they tend to permanently set the-rim in this distorted condition; and they tend to infl crease the distortion as the use goes on. After a rim has been in use some time, secured by these wenigev clamps, it is found necessar to drive the clamps in farther. This is ause the rim has become permanently distorted; and as the wedges are still farther driven in this distortion is in` creased.

The clamping devices now to `be inwhich the present invention is embodied,

,are constructed upon the theory, which them radially inward, the rim will remain centered ermanently. l

To hold) a centered rim on the wheel, and4 against any movement relative vto the wheel, a plurality of' rim clamping devices are c mployed, preferably six for a medium size automobile wheel. Each of these rim clamping devices includes a bolt 20, a nut 21, a

clarhp22, and a clamp sustaining lug 26. Each clamp comprises a jaw portion 22 and a shank portion 22". In the latter is .i hole 23 through which the bolt passes. The lug 26, which is fixed to and projects laterally from the face of the felly, also passes into this hole and into engagement-with a part of the wall. of the hole, so that as long as this engagement between the lugl and wall 'of the hole continues, any radial inward movement of the lng toward .the center of the wheel is transmitted to and is resisted by this lug. f

In tlie. construction shown this lug 26 iS an outwardly extended conical boss which is an integral'` iai-t of a plate 27 that is fixed to the outer ace of the folly. and the bolt passes centrally through it. The outer wall of this lug, that is to say, the part thereof nearest the rim, is beveled toward theaxis of the wheel. Likewise, the engaging part I which,

deseribed,

oth the inner and the outer sides of4 ,when the lug projects into this part of .the

hole the clamp is held in what may be called the operativev position; that is to say,`\ he?-I` clam extends outward to a osition When t e clamp' is in this operative posiltioii and the nut-is screwed onto the'bolt chr?` vthat its- 'awmay engage the si e of the rim.y

against the clamp shank, the clamp is made to forcefully engage the side kof theA rim and move it over' intol engagement with and hold v .itin engagement with the cone The clamp as face just insideof the jaw a' shoulder 22' saA when` "the jaw' has 'been forced intov 1;

clampingljengagement. withA the side j of the rim 'goes under the frimand lies as' close'to'` its, inner periphery as is possible-without??? imparting any outwardpressur'e tosaid..

rim, such'as mi ht distort iti If-thefrim 1n use shouldv s lip relativeto.the"clemp1it..

could only move radiallyinward an almost imperceptible distance before it'wouldeny vgage the said shoulder .and be thereby stopped. The hole iii the clamp rshank as shown is shapedv like a buttonhole, that issay,

thereis 'a narrow slot24 which extends from the round'part" of thelhole, to which the 'lgfg is fitted, outwardftowa-rd the j aw shaxilrfel:A

'the' width of'this slot-,is a trifle greater than the diameter of the bolt, and its'outer end, that is, the end adjacent the cuter edge of the jaw,.isfi n such relation tosaid outer ed e that when the clamp has been moved vra ially toward the axis of the wheel until the` outer'end of the slot rests upon the bolt, the outei` end of the 'clamp will be out of the path which the rim must travel in oing onto-or coming ofi of the wheel; that is to say, will be in what may beitermed theV f inoperativel position.

vThe preferable 'mannerof operating these ica.

ics j rclamping devices is as follows: Assume that ,i

a rim is fastened by the described clamping devices on a whee and it is desired to remove it. One first unscrews the nut associated with that clamp which is for the moment at the to of thewhel. When the nut has been sufiiciently unscrewed the clamp will, by gravit slide-down the inclined face of the lug an oil of the lug, and then willl drop radially towardthe axis of the wheel end of the slot with thefbolt.

wheel, and these clamps Awill be similarly 13eI until stopped by the engagement of the outer f A Whenthe' `clamp Vis in this inoperative position the nut operated. When all of the clamps have been moved to and locked in the inoperative position described the rim maybe readily taken ofi'. When a rim is replaedother rim- Will be ut onto the wheel while the clamps are in t is position. Thereafter one by one the clamps will be moved out into operative position and threaded over the associated lugs', and then the nuts will be screwed up. As a nut is screwed on it will soon reach a position where it will prevent the clamp from movingv off of the lug, that is to say,-

will-prevent 1t from g from the operative position. By a further screwing on of the lug the clamp will be moved so as to firmly clamp the rim over against the opposed clamping device, namely, the cne. The clampv may be pressed against the rim so hard that any movement of the rim independent o`f the clamp will be impossible.

y `Any dis osition of the outer sidef'of the rim towar the axis of the wheel will, therefore, be first resisted by the clamp; and the strain will. then be` transmitted to the lug 27 referred to. This lug as stated is formed on a plate, and this is preferably secured to the outer face of the felly band by screws. If' some/ reinforcement were not provided the serw'swould ultimately take the strain applied tothe clamps tending to movethem radially inward, and might not be able to withstand them. This reinforcemer may be provided by forming each one of these plates with a finger `29 which extends over the felly band into the space between it and thel rfim-and in engagement with the felly banda` I n These fingers may be made to serve another ymore or liess useful function, that is to Lsay, they may' be made of spring metal; andi` as they ass foyer the felly band they may from th y.poiifi-t`at; which they engage ,the felly band extendfat an inclination outward, and to positions such that they will engage andxpress against the inner periphery of the rim. When these spring arms are employed, then when the rim is bemg put onto the wheel these spring arms-will help to center the rim, that is to say th'e inner side of the rim will be centeredby engaging with the cone while the outer side of the rim will be centered by engagement with these inclined. spring arms. These arms will to some extent resist any tendency of the outer side of ,the rim to move toward the axis ofthe wheel. Having described my inventionfl claim:

' 1. The combination of a Wheel, a dev-mountable rim therefor, means carried by said rirnagainst said clamping means, each clamping device comprising aclamp having a jaw for engagement with the rim and a the lwheel to envafe said rim and limit its movement laterally in one direction, and a plurality of clamping devices for pressing said rim against said clamping meansfv each clamping device comprising a clamp having a jaw for engagement with the rim and a shank through which ther-eis a hole, a bolt carried by said wheel lprojecting laterally therefrom throughthe hole 'in the clamp shank, a nut on said bolt, and a lug fixed to the wheel projecting laterally therefrom into the holein said clamp shank and into engagement with the outer wall of said hole when the clamp is in operative position, the surface of said lug which engages the wall of said hole being inclined at an angle such that when the clamp is at the top rof the wheel and the nutis loosened said clamp will slidedown said inclined surface off ofthe lugs and toward the axis of' the wheel.

3. The combination of' a wheel, a demountable rim therefor, means carried by the wheel to engage said rim and limit its 1novement laterally in one direction, and a plu'- rality of clamping devices for pressing said rim against said limiting means each clamping device comprising a clamp having a aw for engagement with the side of the rim'a'nd a shank through which there is a hole, a

bolt carried by said wheel projecting laterally therefrom through the hole in the clamphank, a nut on said bolt, a plate fixed to the outer face of the felly of the wheel and having an-vintegral lug which projects outward intotllie hole in said clamp shank and into engagelnent With the wall of said hole to thereby hold the 'clamp in operative position and prevent it fromv moving radially inwardtherefrom. v f A 4. The combination of a wheel, a demountabl'e rim therefor, means carried by the Wheel to engage said rim and limit its movement laterally in one direction, and a'plurality of clamping devices for pressing :fsaid rim againstsaid'limiting means, eabh" clamping device comprising a clamp havi'ng a jaw for enga ement with the side vof the' rim and a shan r through which there is a hole, albolt carried y said wheel' projecting laterally therefromtthrough the hole in the clamp shank, a nut on said bolt, a plate fixed to,U

the outer face of the fell y of the wheel and having an integral lug which projects outward into the hole in said clamp shank and lll into engagenpent with the avall of said holeto 130 thereby hold Vthe clamp iin' operative' position and prevent it from movin radiallyfinward therefrom, and said plate eing formed with an integral inger'which extends over and into engagement with the outer periphy ery of the wheel.

he combinationofa'wheel havin adjacent its inner side an, outwardly ine ined conical iange, a demountable rim adapted to engage said ange and be thereby centered, a plurality of inclined spring arms fixed to the wheel and extended over the periphery thereof and between said periphery and demountable rim and into engagementJ with the latter, and clamping devices for forcing said rim toward and holding it in jecting laterally therefrom through the hole in the clamp shank, a nut on-said bolt, a

plate fried to the side of the wheel formedwith an"integral outwardly projecting in- Y clined conical lug which vwhen the clamp is in operative position goes into the hole in said clamp and engagesv the wall of said jliole and prevents the -clamp from moving radially away from said operative position and said plate being also formed with a finlger vhich project over and engages the felly 7. The combination of a wheel, a demount?y able rim therefor,l :means carried by the wheel to engage said rim and limit its lateral movement in one direction, and a plurality of clamping devices, each consisting of a clamp having a jaw for vengagement with the rim and a shank in which there is a radially elongated hole, a bolt carried by said wheel and projecting laterally therefrom through the hole in the clamp shank, a nut on said bolt, and a plate fixed to the side of the wheel having an outwardly projecting lug formed with a beveled surface that engages apart of said clamp when the latter is in operative position' and prevents radial movement away from said operative position, the inclination of said clamp-engaging 'surface being such that when the nut of that clampingdevice which is at the top of the wheel is unscrewed the associated clamp will slide by gravity o' of said lug and toward the axis of thev wheel into inoperative position.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiiiX my signature -in the presence of two witnesses.

' STEWART R. MCKAY. Witnesses:

L. THUia'szroN, iL. PORTER. 

